Anyway, the rest of this post will be dictated to me by KJ. (I type faster.)
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On Sunday, my dad and I made the 4 hour drive to San Antonio in 3 hours. After a bit of searching and tire screeching, we made it to SeaWorld. We got checked in all right, and made it through the airport-like security check (no, they did not strip-search us). I got settled into my bed in the dorm, said good-bye to my father, and then I was on my own. I went to the cafeteria and sat there watching as more and more people came through the doors. After sitting in the same place for an hour and 45 minutes, we finally had everyone. In career camp, there was a total of about 26 girls and 8 boys.
By that time it was about 5:30, which meant we were going to see "Shamu Rocks Texas." This show was awesome! They had really good music blasting through the speakers while the orcas (killer whales) were doing flips, splashes, jumps, and anything the trainers would let them, including splashing the 52 degree salt water on the audience. The show was complete with the hi-tech Hollywood effects including fire. There was a camera hanging from the ceiling of the stadium zooming in on people dancing in the audience. You could see them on the big screen.
The picture below is of a trainer riding a killer whale.
After the show and meeting some new people, we went back to the dorm. Lights-out was at 11:00.
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Monday - Polar:
The night before, our counselor had informed us on what we would wear for Monday: tube socks that go up to my knees, mud boots, sweat pants, camp T-shirt, hoodie, thread gloves, winter gloves, and greens (protective rubber overalls). It was 90 degrees on Monday so we were all a bit sweaty. Our cameras were the only things we were allowed to take in with us to the polar building. We had an employee talk to us about penguins and she answered any questions we had. Then we stretched for we would be shoveling several pounds of snow. It was extremely cold in the penguin exhibit. There were two snow machines and the snow came from the machines and out through two holes in the ceiling making two large piles of snow under them. So our job as campers was to shovel the snow and move it to uncovered areas of the exhibit like grating and concrete. After about 30 minutes of shoveling, the piles were gone and I was afraid my hands would look like my gloves (our gloves were black), because I was really cold. We put our shovels back on the rack and started preparing the fish for the penguins. Luckily, my only job was to set out the food trays for the penguins. Everyone else behind me had to fill the trays with fish. And then my favorite part, playtime with the penguins. I went outside the exhibit and got my camera. I hurried back inside and was trying to catch a penguin. This specific penguin did not want to be touched so he waddled away, and I went after him. I finally gave up after chasing him around the exhibit, and instead found a penguin that was pretty sweet.
This is a Chinstrap penguin. They are very tiny and aggressive (so he was trying to bite my camera).
This Rockhopper penguin is going to bite me.
All these penguins are full grown. They're just different kinds of penguins.
These are baby King penguins.
That's a handsome Rockhopper.
A Rockhopper eating fish.
Another Rockhopper (it's my favorite penguin)
This penguin is rolling in the snow.
After playtime with the penguins, we learned about the puffins. After that, we went back to the cafeteria where we ate lunch. After we ate lunch, we went to AET (I don't remember what that stands for but it has something to do with birds.) After AET, we went to the bird house where we learned about birds. After the bird house, went on JTA (Journey to Atlantis). It is an awesome ride, the first of its kind in the U.S. You're in a boat going up a roller coaster chain. When you get to the top, they spin you until we're backwards and then the boat drops down a hill backwards. Then they spin us again until we're facing forwards, and we go down a hill that's almost vertical landing in the water with a ginormous splash.
After JTA, we had our review for the day, and then our evening activities (arcade, rides, hanging out).
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